The Beginning of the End
by tdollard
Summary: Haruno Sakura is forever haunted by the betrayal of Uchiha Sasuke. Emotionally wrecked, she meets someone; Hyuga Neji. Neji is cold, arrogant, crude, and in many ways, exactly LIKE Sasuke. But she soon comes to find out that he is exact OPPOSITE.
1. Prologue

Prologue: The Beginning of the End

"_Don't leave me! If you go, I'll scream and-"_

_Suddenly, Sasuke wasn't in front of me anymore, but behind me. I froze at his presence, and I could feel the tears begin to run again. Why couldn't I stop crying? This is why he hates me. I'm so weak, and pathetic. I'll never be anything more to him than a nuisance. But I could change, for him. I could grow strong and make him love me._

"_Sakura. Thank you, for everything."_

What do you do when your world comes crashing down around you?

_Nothing, you get caught in the rubble._

What do you do when you lose a best friend?

_Hold on tighter to the other one._

What happens when a comrade betrays you, and your village?

_You hunt him down._

How do you cope with the pain?

_You down a shot of tequila._

When do the nightmares stop?

_They'll always be there, even when you're awake._

Footsteps.

_Don't leave me._

Annoying.

_I can change._

Tears.

_Keep falling._

Silence.

_I hate silence._

Thank you.

_You're welcome._

Darkness.

_He's gone._

Heart break.

_Make it stop._

Stone bench.

_Sasuke, no!_

In the world of the ninja, emotions are a weakness. On our team, I was a weakness. Never growing in strength; never training hard enough. I was useless to them, to _him_.

I was a silly little girl who everyone thought would never be anything more than a pain. But I'll show them all that they're wrong. I'll prove to them that I _am_ strong.


	2. Chapter 1

The Beginning of the End: Chapter 1

It was the middle of the night. My head throbbed, my muscles ached, and I was having a hard time going to sleep. I reached over to the bedside table and my hand found the bottle of liquor sitting there, waiting for me, and calling my name.

"You'll kill yourself if you keep this up."

Naruto.

"When did you get here?"

"I've been standing here for the last 2 minutes."

I nodded, and turned my head away from him as I turned the bottle up. Before I could even get a good sip of it, the bottle was thrown from my hands and across the room. I looked over at Naruto, a glare in my eyes, to see his face contorted in fury.

"You think you're the only one hurt? Huh? You don't think this affects me like it does you? I sit up every night wondering what _I_ did wrong… I hate that he is gone, Sakura. But you don't see me wasting myself away in my house all day, or at bars, getting myself so drunk to the point that I can't even see straight."

I just stared at him. Ever since Sasuke left, I'd pushed all of my friends away. I picked up drinking; from Tsunade-shishou of course. If I wasn't on a mission, I was at a bar. If I wasn't at a bar, I was at the liquor store picking up more alcohol to bring home with me. It numbed the pain. Feeling numb was a lot better than dealing with the constant heart break, shattering my already broken world into tinnier pieces.

Ino quit talking to me after I got so drunk one night I called her a two-timing whore. TenTen quit talking to me after I borrowed money from her for groceries, and spent it on alcohol. Shikamaru was with Ino, so naturally he quit talking to me as well. Same goes for Lee. Naruto was the only one that stuck by me. Through it all, he has been the one to pick me up off the ground when I was too weak even to crawl.

"Leave me alone," I spat. "You think you're any better than me? I know that you spend your days slaving away, training to become stronger. That's all you think about. 'Gotta get stronger.' 'Gotta bring Sasuke back.' Psh, don't come to me with that you're-throwing-your-life-away bullshit. You're just as bad."

I could tell my words had hurt him. Ah well, everyone else left me. He might as well, too. Besides, I was drunk.

"You're just drunk," Naruto whispered as if he had read my thoughts. The angered that showed clearly on his face was erased. In it's place was concern.

"Drunken minds speak a sober man's words."

Two seconds later, I heard my door slam shut.

"Finally. Some fucking peace.

The Next Day

Waking up with a hang over, to say the least, sucked ass. If my head was hurting last night, it was doubled this morning. Without even opening my eyes, I made my way to the bathroom, took a shower, and got dressed.

I was desperately late, so I decided to run to the hospital. Not a good idea. With every move I made, my head pounded a little harder. Eventually, though, I made it to my destination. Unfortunately for me, Tsunade was standing at the front desk, awaiting my arrival.

"Sakura, I need to see you in my office. Now."

Uh-oh. I'm in trouble. "Yes, Tsunade-shihsou."

I followed her to her office, a room I was quite familiar with, and plopped down on my favorite couch.

"Sakura, I need to talk to you about something."

Tsunade's eyes looked away from mine, and out the window. I knew this was not a good sign. When I didn't say anything, she went on.

"Naruto came an visited me last night. Late last night."

My whole body tensed up, and I already knew where this conversation was going. Still, I stayed silent.

"He has brought to my attention that your 'occasional drink' has turned into a problem. You're drinking too much, Sakura. I hate seeing you like this. So, as punishment, I'm suspending your medical duties until further notice. I want to see improvement. You are forbidden to drink any kind of alcoholic beverage. I've assigned someone to watch over you. I believe you've been on a couple of missions with him. Naruto insisted I let him do it, but I don't think that is for the best. So, you will be staying in the Hyuga Mansion, under the surveillance of Neji Hyuga. The arrangements have been made, earlier this morning. You are to meet him at 5 p.m. sharp at Ichiraku Ramen."

Silence, from my end. Questioning look, from my mentor. Then, the anger came, boiling to the top of my chest in a flash. This absolutely cannot be happening. How _dare_ she! For an instant, I wanted to strangle her. Then the words were out of my mouth before I even hand the chance to censor them.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Big shout out to my friend, hyuugahinata247. Thanks for the reviews so far (:

The Beginning of the End: Chapter 2

"Neji, I need you to do this for me. She's lost within her self, drowning out her sorrows in alcohol. You're the only person I can think of that can help her; is capable of helping her."

_I stared at her, long and hard. I knew she would force this on me even if I said no. Still, this wasn't exactly what I was expecting when I walked in here for my 'mission.' All in all, denying her request wasn't going to do myself any good. Just get on her bad side. I knew that Sakura was like her daughter. For a while after Sasuke left, she was actually doing well. Everyone that knew her spoke of her becoming an excellent medic ninja under the wing of our Hokage. No one suspected in the least bit that she was still torn apart by the betrayal of Uchiha Sasuke._

"_I don't know if I can help her."_

_Tsunade smiled softly, closing her eyes. "Neji, you are the _only_ one that can help her."_

"_How can I deal with an emotionally wrecked woman? That isn't exactly my specialty. We aren't even friends. We've been on missions together, but never has our relationship progressed past that. Why not Naruto? More than anyone, he would help her the most."_

"_Naruto is not going to help her. If anything, it would only remind her more of the rogue ninja. It would bring back the old memories of their time together with team 7."_

"_But how do _I_ fit into this?"_

"_Because you've faced loss, too, Hyuuga. Your father died when you were young, so you've had much more experience in dealing with the pain. Sakura is weak, fragile. She always has been. Emotionally, she does not live up to the standards of her physical strength." Tsunade was becoming emotional. "Please, Neji, I need you to do this for me."_

"_Say that I accept this mission. What if I can't accomplish what you are asking me to do?"_

_Tsunade's face looked shocked, as if she hadn't considered that scenario. Turning towards the window, she closed her eyes again, but this time they stayed closed._

"_Then at least we tried."_

The sun was beating rays of heat down upon my back, making me sweat in places I should not be sweating. Kids ran around my legs, occasionally bumping into me. The Ichiraku stand was at the end of road, and I could already see her pink hair. Forcing my will into my legs, I made my way towards her. Not knowing what the confrontation would lead to.

Before I knew it, I was sitting myself down next to her. We sat in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of our village. Funny how life moves on, even if we're stuck in the past. The sun rises and sets the way it usually would; grass continues to grow; the people around go on with their lives, while you're stuck in a rut with yours. Waking up day after day, not knowing where to go, not knowing what is going to come, forcing yourself to go through the motions, even though it breaks your heart, or in her case, your soul.

A voice cut through the silence, pulling me away from my thoughts. "I don't need you to look after me."

Looking at her, you wouldn't be able to guess anything was wrong. She was beautiful in many ways. Her lips perfectly shaped, her body lean, one of the most talented kunoichis of our village. Her eyes are a pale green, only a shadow of their former selves. She used to sparkle with energy. I suppose losing a best friend can do that to you.

"Tsunade-sama seems to think it is necessary."

She shot daggers my way with the look that settled over her features. My eyes trailed down to the cup she was holding. Sake.

"And obviously you have a problem. Even now, barely past 5, you've started drinking. Weren't you specifically told you were forbidden to drink any alcohol?"

"Yeah. But what she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"In any case, I'm obliged to tell her if you slip up-"

"Hyuuga, don't think for a second that I am going to make this easy. I don't want to be living in your house, I don't want to be watched over as if I were a child, especially by the likes of you, and I don't want to be labeled as the fool who can't stop drinking. I know when to stop, and I can stop anytime I want to. I stop when my hand can no longer hold the bottle, and I don't stop because I don't _want_ to. And don't give me that look. You're not my father, he's dead. You are no one to me. Do not sit there and pretend to care, and do not judge me. You do not know me."

To say the least, I was surprised. I expected her to be pissed, but not this pissed.

"Do you think I want to baby sit a woman who should be capable of wiping her own ass at this point? No. Either way, we're stuck with each other. So if you could please stop with the I don't need any help bullshit then this might be a little bit more enjoyable, if being with you in any way could be enjoyable at all."

With that said, I stood up and began to walk out. "There will be someone at your apartment tomorrow to help you move your things out and into the Hyuuga Mansion. Until then, goodbye."


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for the reviews (: If anyone has any suggestions, please tell me. And I can take criticism. So bring on the heat! (:

The Beginning of the End: Chapter 3

"_If you had one breath left, who would you want to talk to, and what would you want to tell them?" Naruto asked me not too long after Sasuke left. Of course, he expected my answer to be Sasuke._

"_You, Naruto. I'd talk to you. I'd tell you thank you, for everything."_

I looked at my new room. To put it bluntly, it was disgusting. Everything was white. White sheets, white comforter, white walls, white curtains, white carpet, and white doors; white _everything_. It looked like I was being shown my room inside a hospital.

"Is this really where I'm going to stay?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?" Neji said in an aggravated voice. I glance at him to see he was leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed, glaring at me.

"It's white."

"Oh good, you know your colors," Neji snorted.

"**Why that little! Let me at 'im!"** my inner self screamed in rage.

"If I'm going to be forced to live here, can't I at least have the freedom to pick the room I want?"

"Must you complain about everything? When you walked into the house, you said it was too big. When you walked up the stairs, you said they were too long. And now we're in your room, and you say it's too white."

I clutched the handle of my suitcase tighter, and fought back the urge to hit him on his over sized head. Glancing around, I guess it wasn't too bad. My stuff would liven it up, and I could put my comforter on the bed instead of that hideous white one.

I have things to do and clothes to put away, so could you please leave me be?" I spat.

His expression did not change from the cold, emotionless one that seemed to be second nature to him. He just turned around and walked out, closing the door behind him. I waited a couple of minutes before I opened up my suitcase to make sure he wasn't going to come back in. After I had unzipped the suitcase, I dug my hand into the pile of clothes until my fingers brushed against something cool. Slowly and quietly, I pulled the bottle out. Swiftly, I looked around the room for a hiding spot. I found a drawer in the stand beside my bed, took a swallow of the intoxicating drink, and shoved it in there. No sooner than I closed the door, Neji walked back in. I jumped slightly, and turned to face him.

"Yes?" I asked, forcing an agitated edge to my voice.

"What's that you were just doing?" he questioned, suspicion lacing his voice.

"Just putting away some of my girl things, is all." If I looked as nervous as I felt, then I was doomed.

"Mind if I see?"

"Oh, you don't wanna see. Just some tampons, and deodorant. You know, regular girl stuff."

Neji didn't look convinced. In two swift steps, he moved past me and opened up the drawer. I felt my body sag in defeat. "This is absolutely annoying."

That word caught my attention, and I turned to look at him slowly.

"What did you just say?"

He turned around to face me with the bottle in his hand. His face showed indifference to my question and it stayed expressionless. With a shrug of his shoulders he answered me.

"You're annoying."

That night I tossed and turned and tried my hardest to sleep. Without the alcohol, the pain was taking over my mind. For the first time in a long time, I was forced to face my fears and the horrors inside of my mind. I hate that he left me! He did this to me. It's _his_ fault. He's the reason I have to drink to sleep at night. As I lay there, Neji's words came back to me. And as they came back to me, so did everything I remember about Sasuke. His cold expressions, his arrogant behavior, his indifference to me, the way I annoyed him. Hyuuga Neji was exactly like Uchiha Sasuke. In more ways than one. And I hated him for it.

In that bed, inside of the Hyuuga Mansion, without alcohol, was the worst night of sleep I have ever gotten.

The Next Day

I just sat here, on this bed, staring at my empty drawer. All day inside of this room was going to kill me. It left me too much time to think. But that's what I did. I thought about Sasuke. I thought about the night he left, and the terror that wracked my body at the thought of losing him to Orochimaru. I remember all to well the pain that has now become a second nature to me. That feeling, pain, struck deep in my core when I was sober. Sasuke's face popped into my mind a thousand times, and I _remembered_. I could almost smell his icy scent. I pictured his obsidian eyes glaring at me. I visualized his dark, raven hair blowing in the wind. Too much. Far too much for me to handle right now. I could feel the ache in my heart grow, stretching to every corner of my body. I laid back and tried to force it away, squeezing my eyes shut. Tears welled in the corners of my tightly shut jade eyes, and began to fall. I could only squeeze tighter, willing them away. And the more I willed, the more I cried. A gut-wrenching, horrific sob made its way to my throat. I choked on it, trying to push it away, but it came out, shaking my body right down to my bones. I pulled myself into a ball, and for the first time in 4 years, I allowed myself to cry. I cried my heart out, in a literal way. It felt awful, to actually _acknowledge_ the pain that I had long shut away.

Neji's POV

I sat on the room of my floor, trying to meditate. And that's when I heard it. It was a whimper at first, barely noticeable, but enough to draw my attention away from my mediation. It annoyed me at first, and I tried to ignore it. Then I heard it again, growing in volume. And suddenly, I heard a wail. A great wail of pain. My eyes shot open, and my thoughts went immediately to Sakura. Jumping up, I ran to my door, flung it open, and was in Sakura's in no less than 5 seconds. There she was, curled up in a ball on her bed, bawling her eyes out.

"Sakura-"

"Just go away Neji."

I stared at her shaking form for a minutes, deciding if I should leave or not. Then, Tsunade's words rang in my head. _"You're the _only_ one that can help her."_

"Sakura, what's wrong?"

It took her a while to respond. Her hysterical sobbing made it nearly impossible for her to speak. And when I had asked her what was wrong, it got louder, and she cried harder. I was absolutely not trained for his. Never in my life have I been put into a position where I had to comfort a crying woman. Slowly, though, her body began to shake less, and her crying slowed to hiccups. She raised her head to look at me, and I saw the face not of a woman, but of a shattered little girl, pleading for the pain to go away. For a while, she just stared at me. Her expression almost pained me, to the point that I had to turn my head away. I was, to say the least, uncomfortable. But still, I would feel guilty if I left her here like this. So I stayed, staring back at her torn features. Her mouth often opened as if she were going to say something, then it would close back and her eyes would let out little streams of liquid. She wasn't crying the way she was before, but this kind of crying, seemed to be more pain than her weeping in sorrow.

Do not mistake me, though. I do not care for this woman any more than I care for ramen. I detest ramen, and I detest this woman. She is weak, and sick, and to be blunt, a bit of a smart-ass. But all of that aside, I could not help but feel an inkling of sorrow for her. For what seemed like hours, her eyes just bore into mine, giving me a creepy feeling in the back of my mind. I didn't expect her to say anything, but it surprised me when she did.

"Neji, make it stop."


	5. Chapter 4

The Beginning of the End: Chapter 4

That night at dinner, it was just Neji and I. Things between us were awkward, or so that's what if felt like to me. I was so embarrassed that I had broken down like that. A shinobi was supposed to keep her feelings in check. No crying, anger, sorrow. None of that would be tolerated in the world of the ninja. I thought I had made it past being the desperate little girl who wore her heart on her sleeve, but I was right back to square one. And that angered me.

"How is the food, Haruno-san?" Neji asked me, pulling me away from my thoughts. I noticed almost immediately that he wasn't calling me Sakura, like he did earlier today in my room. I looked down at my plate and stared at my food.

"It's delicious. Thank you."

He nodded, and then lowered his head in thought. I watched him like that for a while. His brows would occasionally bunch up, like something was troubling him. His eyes would sometimes glance in my direction, then back at his food. I got irritated after about 10 minutes of this, and finally spoke up.

"Hyuuga-san, is there something bothering you?"

More silence. He looked at me and his gaze caught mine, and for a second, he looked different. There was no cold looked plastered on his face, he did not look annoyed, and there was a barely visible trace of concern in his eyes. His hair wasn't tied back like it usually was, and he didn't have on his ninja clothes, but instead a gray T-shirt that showed off his muscles, and a pair of black pants. He almost looked… Handsome.

"**NO! You dope, he is NOT handsome, and you will NOT think that thought again!" **my inner self screamed at me. I ignored the comment, and focused my thoughts on Neji once again.

"Out with it. I can tell by your body language there is something you want to say to me, so just say it."

Neji's eyes narrowed in on me, and for a moment he looked angry. But just as soon as the emotion ran across his face, it was gone replaced with the emotional mask Neji used to hide what he was feeling. Sighing, I decidedly gave up until I heard him speak.

"Why do you drink?"

The question caught me off guard, so much so that I dropped my chopsticks. That subject was not one I cared to discuss with him at the moment, and I planned to make that perfectly clear.

"I don't want to talk about it."

In more ways than one, he would never understand. He would never understand the bitterness in my heart towards Sasuke. He could not comprehend how the alcohol took away my pain. The things inside of my heart were foreign to him. Loss, betrayal, sadness, depression; all of these things are emotions I have to deal with daily. Above all else, anger. I was angry with Sasuke for walking away from me. I was angry with Naruto for thinking he understood. I was angry at Tsunade-shishou for believing she had the right to imprison me inside of a house with a man I barely knew just because she thought that I had a problem (which, by the way, I don't). And I was angry with Neji because he was just like Sasuke. I was happy with the way things were before. Living in this house, across the hall from Neji, this wasn't making me happy. If anything, it was intensifying the emotions that already plague me. Suddenly, this dinning room was too small, and I had to get out.

"If you'll excuse me, I am tired."

Neji nodded as if he understood. Maybe he knows he over stepped boundaries there. Either way, I needed to get away from him, out of this stupid house, and that stupid, god-awful white room.

I retreated up the stairs, and was glad when I made it to the safety of my bedroom. Looking around me, I wished I were at home. Nothing about this place made me comfortable. The mattress I slept on was as hard as a brick, the pillows weren't fluffy enough, and it was _fucking white_. Another urge to get away crawled up my stomach and settled there. I needed to go out, get some fresh air.

9 P.M. That Night

"Goodnight, Haruno-san."

"Goodnight, Hyuuga-san."

The door clicked shut and I immediately felt alone, isolated, and left alone with my emotions once again. Laying there alone thinking about the times after Sasuke left, I remembered a night after Sasuke left the village, and Naruto had returned from trying to retrieve him.

_My apartment felt lonely, and I couldn't shake the feeling. Naruto had just gotten back, empty handed, today. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was disappointed in himself. He had broken a promise he made to me, and that killed him inside. That night I went to bed, and couldn't sleep. I've been restless for weeks, going on a month now. Sleep was not coming easy to me, and sometimes I would begin to cry, and not even remember falling asleep, but waking up knowing that I hadn't slept long enough. Tonight was no different, but this time, I felt utterly, completely, and totally alone. Before, when Naruto was going after Sasuke, there was still hope inside of me that I would see Sasuke again. That thought alone would comfort me every night, making it somewhat easier to sleep. But tonight, it was different. Sasuke was with Orochimaru now, and I knew in my heart of hearts that we had lost him. The thought of it made a shiver crawl down my spine, and coldness strangle my heart._

_I didn't want to be a lone, so I decided to go visit Naruto. I got up, kept my pajamas on, and jumped from rooftop to rooftop as fast as I could to get to his apartment, desperately needing comforting. I made it to his house in 3 minutes, and knocked on his door. I could faintly hear the sound of snoring being interrupted, followed by the shuffle of feet slowly coming towards the door. When he opened it, he just stared at me. He stood there for a while, processing who I was, and then he finally shook himself awake._

"_S-Sakura, what are you doing here?" he asked me._

"_Naruto, I-I didn't want to be alone."_

_His face showed a trace of understanding, as I knew it would. He stood aside, and let me in. I went to his bedroom and sat down on the bed, and he followed in my footsteps, sitting down beside me._

"_What's on your mind?" he asked._

_I didn't say anything, because he already knew the answer, and it hung in the air between us. He nodded, and asked me if I wanted to stay the night. More than anything, I did. And so that's what I did. I laid down, and tried my hardest to go to sleep._

"_Sakura?"_

"_Yes?" I mumbled, slightly irritated at him interrupting me while I was trying to sleep._

"_I'm so sorry."_

_Once again, I didn't say anything, just pulled him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders, and it felt natural. He was my brother, in many ways, and to him, I was his little sister that needed protection._

"_It's okay, Naruto. Don't be angry with yourself. You did the best that you could."_

"_It wasn't enough, though. I told you I would bring him back, and I failed you. I failed you, Sakura, and you must hate me."_

_I sat up almost instantly, an anger burning inside of me that I hadn't felt since before Sasuke had left. Morning over his betrayal had taken a lot of energy out of any other emotions and me just paled in comparison. But it was suddenly searing hot inside of me, bursting through my seams._

"_Naruto Uzamaki, you look at me right now. Do not _ever_ say anything like that again. I most certainly do not hate you. It's not your fault he left. I tried to stop him, too, as well as you. He's gone. Okay? He's just _gone_." Before I knew it, I was sobbing, screaming that he was gone, and clinging to Naruto's shirt for the strength that I did not have._

_We bonded that night, in a way that I have never bonded with another. Not Ino, and not TenTen. From then on out, Naruto was my backbone, my strength, and my brother. He was there for me when no one else was. He understood in a way that nobody else ever could. Because to him, he lost his bestfriend, too._

Air, I needed air. Looking at the time, it was now almost 10:30. I listened very closely to the sounds around me, and heard Neji's peaceful snoring. Pushing the covers off of me, I got dressed, opened the window, and headed off of the grounds of the Hyuuga Mansion.

The bar was only a couple of blocks away from Neji's house, which proved quite convenient. I walked inside and couldn't help but smile at the familiar smell of alcohol that smothered the place. I looked around, and saw no one that I knew, or anyone that knew me. So, I walked over to a barstool, and ordered a drink. And that's where I stayed. I took drink after drink, after drink, after drink.

And God did it fell good. Every time the burn of the whiskey flamed in my throat, I'd take another shot, so as not to loose the sensation. I basked in the glory of the cloud-nine feeling I was in right now, and nothing, absolutely nothing, could bring me down. And so I took another shot. By this point I was well aware that I was drunk, and so was everyone around me. I checked the clock on the way behind the bar and it read 2:30. It was then that I decided to go home. I stood up on wobbly legs and made my way to the exit.

"Hey there, pretty lady," a skuzzy looking man said as he walked up to me. I was drunk, but not _that_ drunk.

"Psh. Piss off."

When most people get drunk, they feel invincible. I just so happened to be included in 'most people,' and didn't realize the kind of trouble I was getting myself into.

I felt a rough hand yank me back by my arm and spin me around to face them. Up close, he was even more hideous.

"What was that you said?" His voice had a dangerous edge to it, almost psychotic. I tried to snatch my arm free, but his hand wasn't budging. It was then that a little spark of fear was planted in me, and I began to panic. Trying not to show that he was scaring me, I tried to act tougher than I was feeling.

"Let me go," I hissed at the man.

This seemed to anger him more, and his grip on my arm tightened.

"You should really rethink this," I heard another man's voice say from behind me. I instantly recognized it, and cringed a little, but a little part of me couldn't help but jump for joy at his rescuing me.

"Huh? And who are you, bub?"

And that was it. Two minutes later Neji was pulling me by my wrist down the street back toward the Hyuuga Mansion. Instead of thanking him like a lady should, I got a little angry. But of course, I was drunk.

"I can handle myself, Hyuuga."

His grip tightened a little and he stopped walking, turning to face me instead.

"You are the most stupid woman I have ever met. Do you realize that you could have been hurt? When you drink like this you put yourself in a vulnerable position. You are now _my_ responsibility, Haruno. So how do you expect me to keep an eye on you if you are sneaking out of your window in the middle of the night?"

His face was contorted in fury and rage. For an instant, it frightened me. But in my drunken stupor, I did something that was, once again, hazardous to my health.

"I don't need you to look after me! I could have handled that punk on my own, and right now I'd probably be enjoying another drink if your meddling ass wouldn't have walked in! Why don't you just stop pretending to care and leave me alone."

I shook him off of my wrist and started walking towards the house, _my_ house. But, of course, it wasn't too long before I felt arms go around my waist and I was all of sudden on Neji's shoulder being carried back in the direction of the Hyuuga Mansion.

"Hyuuga! You put me down right this instant!"

"You want down? Fine." He threw me off of his shoulder and instead pulled me by my wrist again, except this time it was rougher.

"You are a nuisance, Haruno."

'Nuisance.' Fuck. That.

I punched him as hard as I could in his arm, but the bastard didn't even flinch. Once again, he slowly turned to face me. "What's so amusing about getting drunk? Please, enlighten me. You wanted to Sasuke to love you, am I correct? From what I have heard, he didn't return your feelings because he thought you were below him; too weak to deserve any sort of emotion from him. Obviously, _Haruno_, you haven't changed one damn bit."

Tears bit at my eyes with every word that he said. And the more he said, the harder it became to hold them back.

"So, out with it! Tell me what's so fucking amazing about getting drunk?"

For a while, I just stared at him, glaring.

"Answer me, God dammit!"

"Because! I just _like_ it. It makes me forget how fucked up and twisted my life is! It makes all the shit that I have to deal with day in and day out disappear from my mind. I can think without my head pounding into pieces. I can _sleep_."

"I know that it hurts. I get it. You're upset that the man of your dreams doesn't love you back. It hurts. Everyone gets it. So get over yourself."

Words that I longed to say sat at the tip of my tongue. And just like in Tsunade-shishou's office, the came out before I could stop to think.

"It only hurts when I'm sober."


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: It's been about a week and a half since Sakura has moved in with Neji.

Song belongs to Kelly Clarkson. It has also just dawned on me that I never did a disclaimer in any of my other stories. So, here you go: I do not own Naruto. Just the plot.

The Beginning of the End: Chapter 5

**Is it over yet?**

**Can I open my eyes?**

**Is this as hard as it gets?**

**Is this what it feels like to really cry?**

**I'm talking in circles.**

**I'm lying they know it.**

**Why won't they just all go away?**

"Hinabi, this is stupid."

I heard her giggle beside me, and she peeked one eye at me. "It won't work if you keep talking. Be quiet."

Why would Neji leave me alone inside of this house with this little girl? She immediately wanted me to train with her after Neji introduced us. The first part of her training just so happens to be meditation, which I have no damn patience for. But I knew that arguing with the girl wouldn't get me anywhere, so I just closed my eyes and tried to ignore how annoyed I was.

We had been sitting there for quite some time, maybe 20 minutes, before I decided to look at her. I opened one eyes, much like she had done earlier, and glanced at her out of the corner of my eye.

"Hinabi! What the hell?"

The girl was laying down taking a nap. My yelling startled her awake, though, and she gave me a guilty look.

"I'm sorry Haruno-san. I got a little drowsy." She smiled a sheepish smile at me, and lowered her head with a blush.

"It's Sakura."

Her head popped back up and looked at me. "What?"

"Sa-ku-ra. Call me Sakura."

I smiled at her, and she smiled back at me. "Come on Sakura, let's go drink some tea. Father won't know if we skip training today. He's away on business anyhow."

I nodded, and stood up. When we walked into the kitchen, there was only one lady working in there. For some reason I had the idea that the Hyuuga kitchen was going to have many cooks and cleaners planted in my head.

"Hello Hinabi, dear. What will it be for you today?" the old woman asked, smiling a sweet smile towards the little girl.

"Just some tea with honey, Hannah. For me and my friend," Hinabi answered the woman, looking up at me and smiling.

There was something so good about this girl. Even though she is related to Neji, she is the exact opposite. Hinabi is sweet, gentle, care free, outgoing, and kind. Whereas Neji is just an ass.

The old woman, Hannah, glanced over at me. Her smile immediately widened.

"So you're the new beauty I heard was staying in the house? I had heard stories about your pink hair, but my, my they don't do you justice honey. You're beautiful, dear."

I felt my cheeks warm up a little bit and I could feel myself truly smiling for the first time since I've been here. "Thank you Ms. Hannah."

"Oh, please, dear, it's just Hannah. I don't bother with the Ms or Mrs. Waste of time really."

I glanced over at Hinabi who was looking at me, as well. She winked at me, and I felt a strange sense of contentment. I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face again, and I sat down at the little table placed at the far side of the kitchen.

"She's wonderful, isn't she?" Hinabi whispered to me.

I nodded my head in agreement, and watched the sweet old lady finish making our tea.

"Here you go my little ones," Hannah said, setting our cups of tea down in front of us. "Tell me if you like it or not."

We both nodded and thanked her for the drink, and poured our honey into our glasses. It was silent between us for a minute or so before Hinabi broke the silence.

"So, why have you been ordered to stay here?"

Her question took me by surprise because I had never expected her to be so suspicious. Or, I did, I just didn't expect her to pursue her suspicions.

I didn't really want to answer, so I just shrugged and lowered my head. If anyone else had questioned me about my drinking, I would have acted like it didn't bother me, that I didn't have a problem. But looking at this little girl who had so much kindness inside of her, who was so innocent it was almost untrue, I almost felt bad for even picking up a drink. I felt guilty, ashamed of myself, and no one else has ever had that affect on me. It was like she could see straight through me, and no one had been able to do that before.

"You can talk to me, I won't tell anyone," she assured me.

I looked up at her, and I believed her. I believed that she would keep secret whatever I told her. I needed someone to talk to, so I decided to put my faith in her.

"I have a drinking problem."

That was the first time I had ever said it like that. I would usually just say I people thought that I drank too much. Or I would say people thought I had a problem. But sitting here in front of this little girl who could see me better than even Naruto, I acknowledged I had a problem for the first time since I started drinking. I lowered my head, and felt shame well in my stomach.

"That doesn't make you a bad person, Sakura. You're not any worse than Neji who blocks everyone out. You just have a different way of going about it."

I nodded, but deep down inside I knew I was different. I was ruining my life with alcohol. But even now, I wouldn't stop. Even after I acknowledged I had a problem, I knew I wouldn't stop.

"It's still the only way I have to block out the pain."

I decided to look up at her then, and she was looking at me as if she understood.

"You don't have to drink, Sakura. I'm sure that there are plenty of people around you that would help you through it. I know I would. I've heard stories of how you were a mess. Honestly, I already had a hunch of why you were here. But I needed you to tell me. I would help you, just so you know. I'd be your friend."

"It isn't just about getting over it, Hinabi. It's about the feeling of being alone that I constantly have. When I'm sober, all of the feelings I have are all I can feel. But, when I'm drunk, it all goes away. It's my self-medication. It's my way of coping. I don't know if I could stop, not even now."

She shook her head at me, and suddenly I felt like the child, and she was the adult. "You don't have to go through it _alone_ though. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Even if it's one person that believes in you, it's someone. It's still something for you to hold onto."

She was strong, I could tell. She was next in line to be clan leader, and from what I can see, she will be a great one. "Thank you."

It was all I could offer her. "I can help. I swear I can. I know I'm only 13, but I swear on my life that I can help you get better. I will swear on my life, if you just let me in."

This girl continued to surprise me every time she opened her mouth. It had been so long since I had a friend by my side that I felt an ache inside of me to be close to someone. I felt myself longing for this girl to be by my side. It was unexpected, but it was there.

"Let's say I let you help me. What if you can't do it?"

There was still doubt in me. I was too far-gone for anyone to help me. This girl didn't have any clue what she was getting herself into.

"Don't say that!" she practically yelled at me. "Just because I'm young doesn't mean I can't do it. There is something good inside of you and if no one else can see it, they're blind. I am going to help you, Sakura, and I will make you better."

Her eyes were alight with a fire that burned almost as bright as Naruto's. I didn't know why I had just about poured my heart out to this girl, this little innocent girl, but I had. And what was even more amazing, was that I didn't regret it. I actually trusted Hinabi, and I for the first time since Sasuke left the village, I felt hope. Hope was something I lost whenever Naruto came back empty handed. Hope was something I lost when I heard he was with Orochimaru. Hope was something I haven't felt in years, and to feel it inside of me now, because of this little girl, brought tears to my eyes, and a smile to my lips. I knew I could get better with her help. I never expected to feel welcome here, but here was this girl offering me all the faith in the world. She barely knew me, but she trusted me unconditionally.

"You don't have to do this. I'm not your responsibility."

"Yeah, but if Lady Tsunade keeps putting her faith in Neji, this process wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon."

"You're probably right. He's an inconsiderate bastard. Don't know why Tsunade-shishou thought he would be able to help me."

"Well, there's a lot about Neji that you don't know. He's been through a lot."

"Like what?"

"It really isn't my place to say. If you find out it needs to be from him."

I nodded, understanding. I knew now that she could really keep secrets.

"I'm really tired of being so serious. And you need to start smiling more. So I say that we go out!"

"Out where?"

"Town. You've been cooped up in this house for almost 2 weeks. Neji needs to be a little bit more sensitive sometimes. Come on, I'm gonna grab some money from my piggy bank and we're gonna go shopping."

"You're piggy bank? How much money could you possibly have in a piggy bank Hinabi?"

"You'd be surprised. Father gives me 'allowances' but we both know he does it so I won't bug him all the time for money."

Her giggling was contagious, and I was smiling before I knew it. "So, what's your favorite store?"

"I'm following you."

"Alright. Well, there's this store that just opened in town that had the cutest clothes I've ever seen in my life! Here's some money, let's go."


	7. Chapter 6

**The Beginning of the End: Chapter 6**

After I got back from shopping with Hanabi I took a shower and went to lie down in the bed. The little girl was a whirlwind of energy, talking the whole time and only stopping for air.

Exhausted, I was almost to sleep when I heard Neji's door open and then shut. I thought about the stunt I pulled sneaking out, and felt a twinge of guilt for putting that type of burden on him. Before I knew what I was doing, my feet were on the floor and I found myself in front of his door, hand raised to knock on it. I didn't know what I intended to say to him, or if he would even want to talk to me. Since that night, he's only spoken with me when it was necessary. None the less, I knocked, and for about 3 minutes, there was no response. My patience was running thin waiting on him to tell me to come in, and I was tempted to return to my bed and go to sleep. To hell with apologizing; he knew what he was getting into before he agreed. I'm sure Tsunade filled him in.

"Come in," he finally said, pulling me out of my rant inside of my head.

I slid the door open, hesitating to step in. I finally made it to the side of his bed where he was leaning back, seemingly relaxed. He quirked a brow at me as if to ask what I wanted.

"Neji, I wanted to, uh, apologize."

If he was surprised, it didn't show. Silence followed, and I thought he was ignoring me for a second. I stared intently at his face and watched as his expression turned from one of indifference to one of slight anger. I was taken aback and decided to wait for him to say something before I went on.

"Sakura, get out of my room."

Now, it was late. It was very late. Glancing at the digital clock beside his bed, it read 11:00 p.m. I had gotten out of my comfortable _white_ bed to come over here and apologize to him, and he has the nerve to tell me to get out. Well now that I wasn't going to stand for.

"I don't think so."

His eyes darkened and he shot me a stony glare. I stood my ground, glaring right back at him.

"If you insist on bothering me with your presence, then you might as well say what you wanted to say."

Every muscle in my body was screaming to hit him, but I restrained myself and tried to re-gather my thoughts. I nodded, and bit back the snarky remark waiting on the tip of my tongue.

"I just, I wanted you to know that I feel really bad about the other night. I was out of line. I know you feel like I'm a burden, but, I promise, I promise I'll try to get better, and I'll leave you alone for good. I'll move out, and I won't be your responsibility anymore, and I won't be around to bother you."

The more I spoke, the more I realized how bad I felt. This man hated me and it was all because he had to baby sit a grown woman who acted like she was 15. I shouldn't be doing stuff like that. Even with that thought in my head, the guilt and shame I felt inside of me made me want to pick up a bottle and drown it out.

Neji's expression wasn't changing, but he stood up off of the bed, and stared at me. The way he looked at me reminded me of when I was 13 and begging Sasuke to go out on a date with me. He was annoyed. Tears welled up in the corner of my eyes, and I wanted to run out of there before they fell.

"Sakura, I accept your apology."

Stunned, I looked up at him, and his expression had softened. Something I hadn't noticed lost in my thoughts.

"Y-You do?"

He nodded, and relief washed through me. I wasn't sure why I didn't leave at that point and go back to my room. I stayed rooted in place, and waited for him to say more. I looked at him expectantly and he took notice of that and began to talk again.

"Before, when you said I don't know a thing about what you're feeling, or how it feels to lose someone, you were wrong."

My conversation with Hanabi popped back up into my mind and I remembered her saying there was more to him than I knew. My curiosity piqued, and I wanted to know more suddenly.

"What happened?" I asked him.

His body turned rigid and his eyes went blank for a moment, and we just stared at each other. When he spoke, his voice was laced with the most heart wrenching emotion.

"My father. He's dead."

I suddenly dawned on me why Tsunade picked him. Not many ninjas that I knew had lost anyone. Everyone had their nice little families and lived their happy little lives. Sure, they've lost comrades, but none of that took a toll on them like it did me. They weren't betrayed. I never expected him to tell me anything like this. He certainly didn't owe me any kind of explanation. So why was he telling me this?

"Neji, why are you telling me this?"

"Honestly, I don't know."

I nodded, understanding. I didn't know why I had spilled my heart out to Hanabi earlier, but I had, not knowing why.

"No, I do know," Neji said quickly.

Wary of his response, not knowing if it would be a sarcastic comment or something hateful, I prepared myself for what he was about to say.

"Because I wanted you to know that you aren't alone."

ooo

Neji's attitude towards me had changed a little after that night. It felt as if we had a connection; one of understanding.

Weeks passed, and I began to feel lonely again. Hanabi's dad had her working extra hard with training and etiquette lessons, so she was gone most of the day. Neji was off on missions or out training. Naruto still wasn't speaking to me. On top of all of that, my hospital duties had been suspended. Spending day after day inside of the Hyuuga Mansion got old really fast and as the days faded into weeks and the weeks faded into months, I was slowly losing my mind. I got to spend a couple of hours with Hanabi a week, and Neji was as stoic as ever. We didn't bicker anymore like we did before, but he went on pretending like we didn't have a relationship. Which we didn't, right?

ooo

"Sakura, how is she?" Lady Tsunade asked me with furrowed brows.

Concern laced her features and you could tell stress was becoming a close friend of hers.

"She's doing fine. Nothing has really changed about her attitude."

"And the alcohol, has she been drinking?"

I simply shook my head no. "But to be honest, I'm guessing that's because I've taken all of her bottles."

Lady Tsunade nodded in understanding, and stood up from her chair behind her desk, walking to the window and staring out at the streets below.

"Your honest opinion Neji?"

I didn't know if I should say that she was doing better, or if she wasn't changing at all. A small part of me wanted her to stay. After the night she came and apologized to me, she was in my thoughts all day long. Whatever I did reminded me of her. I often fell asleep thinking about her pink hair and green eyes that were slowly regaining the life and happiness that was there once upon a time. My dreams were filled with her. Sometimes she'd be smiling, sometimes she'd be crying and I'd comfort her, and sometimes she'd just stare at me. I found myself avoiding her, trying to get her out of my head. But it seemed the more I dodged her presence, the more anxious I was to see her face and the more I wanted to see her. Try as I may, she remained inside of my head.

"Neji?"

Lady Tsunade's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"I don't think she's ready yet."

Stupid. That was really stupid. To be honest she was getting better. I think Hanabi was really making her open up. I could tell she was more relaxed, but she still hadn't completely opened up to me. I wanted her to be my friend. I wanted her to think of me the way I thought of her, but another part of me wanted to run and keep running until she was out of my life for good.

ooo

Tonight I dreamt of Neji. For some reason I can't stop thinking about him. During the day I wonder what he's doing. I wonder if he's with friends and then feel envious that he wouldn't classify me as a friend. Then I wonder if he's with another girl, and then feel jealous because a part of me wanted to be close to him. I admitted to myself I had feelings for him. How? No clue. I barely spoke to him, he seemed to be avoiding me, and the more I tried to get his attention, the harder he would push me away. Maybe apologizing to him was a mistake. At least we still talked to each other, then. Granted, it was always arguing, but it was contact. Contact was what I wanted from him.

I was slowly losing my mind. I felt isolated and sometimes, more often than not, I would have a burn inside of me to just drink. I had long since acknowledged that I needed to quit. I didn't want to, but the stupid, coffee-haired, stubborn ass living across the hall from me seemed to find every damn bottle and take it from me, pouring it down the drain. I wanted to go back to the hospital and start working again. I wanted to get out of the house, and I wanted to see Naruto.

Naruto was someone I tried not to think about. It pained me to remember the way I talked to him, how I so easily tossed him to the side like he was nothing to me. But the truth was he meant a lot to me. He was the anchor that held me in place, the one person that came running to my defense even when I didn't deserve it. He was the only one who kept his faith in me, just like he kept his faith in bringing back Sasuke. Naruto is gone now, though, and it killed me in a different way than Sasuke leaving. This time I was the one who made him leave, and fuck did that make me want a drink.

ooo

In the middle of the night one night, I woke up with a start, and felt that something was wrong. My thoughts immediately went to Neji, and I wanted to go to his room to see if he was ok. I got up, not bothering was caring about what time it was, and went to his bedroom door and walked in without even knocking. Neji was awake, and he stared at me as I walked in.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"No, no. I just can't sleep."

"So you bother me?"

It had been the first time in a long time since we had spoken more than three words to one another. If felt so good to hear his voice, so I did everything I could to keep the conversation going.

"Yes. You're awake anyway. Not like I was disturbing you or anything."

"You didn't find out I was awake until after you walked in, rudely, I might add, without knocking. You had every intention of waking me up."

"Yeah, you're right. But you are awake, so technically, no harm done."

"Yes, harm done. I'm trying to sleep."

"I don't want to sleep alone."

My words shocked me, and it was apparent they had shocked Neji, too. I didn't plan on saying something like that, but I silently applauded myself for the bravery and found myself wanting him to say okay so I could climb into his bed and feel his warm body close to mine. He didn't say anything, but he slid over, and held the covers up. I tried to hide the smile that came to my lips, but it didn't work as planned. I slid under the covers and turned on my side so I was facing him. He laid down, then, too, and faced me as well. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep into the most peaceful night of sleep I had gotten in my life.

ooo

The next morning, I woke up to the feel of a warm arm holding me tightly against his chest. I glanced up at a still sleeping Neji and felt my cheeks warm up slightly. I tried to move out of his hold gently, so as not to wake him up, but every time I moved, his grip only tightened, and I got closer to him, if that was possible.

"Neji," I whispered.

Nothing.

"Neji," I said a little louder.

Nothing.

"Neji!" I said even louder.

Still, nothing. I sighed, giving up, and decided to just lay there.

ooo

I heard her say my name quite a few times. She sounded irritated, but I wasn't ready to wake up yet. I was perfectly content lying in my bed with her wrapped up in my arms. Eventually she stopped saying my name and was quiet, relaxing against my chest and nuzzling her head into the crook of my shoulder. I grinned, despite myself, and pressed my face against her soft hair.

I wasn't sure what had gotten into me last night, but I wanted her to sleep with me just as much as she didn't want to be alone. I knew this was wrong in every way possible. She was fucked up and I was even more fucked up. But inside of my mind, I could see us together. I didn't know what she wanted, and I wasn't sure I could stand it if she didn't want me the way I wanted her. But for now, just this once, I let myself be content with this moment and didn't worry about what feeling was wrong or what feeling was right. I just simply let it be.


End file.
